Foster’s Daily Democrat to join Seacoast Media Group

Wednesday

DOVER — Foster’s Daily Democrat and the Portsmouth Herald, longtime newspaper rivals, will become part of the same company, under the terms of a deal announced Wednesday morning.

DOVER — Foster’s Daily Democrat and the Portsmouth Herald, longtime newspaper rivals, will become part of the same company, under the terms of a deal announced Wednesday morning.

New Media Investment Group, the parent company of the Herald’s owner, Seacoast Media Group, announced it has signed an agreement to acquire substantially all of the assets of Foster’s Daily Democrat, affiliated community newspapers and Eastern Marketing Services.

John Tabor, Seacoast Media Group president and publisher, will expand his responsibilities to become publisher of the Foster’s publications and affiliated businesses.

The deal is expected to close by the end of the year and, according to internal communications, all active employees at Foster’s, except Foster’s family members, will become Seacoast Media Group employees.

“Foster’s Daily Democrat was founded in 1873 by Joshua L. Foster and has a rich heritage,” said Kirk Davis, CEO of Gatehouse Media, LLC, who met with Foster’s staff Wednesday. “Our Seacoast Media Group has been printing Foster’s Daily Democrat for the past year and a half; this feels like a very natural extension of that relationship.”

Seacoast Media Group also began delivering Foster’s to homes and retail outlets in June.

“We’re excited about the opportunity to expand the New Hampshire and Maine markets … and we look forward to welcoming the Foster’s group to our family,” Davis said.

In addition to the 12,500 circulation Foster’s Daily Democrat, the Foster’s group publishes the Sunday Citizen, the weekly Sanford News, in Sanford, Maine, and the Rochester Times in Rochester, numerous niche publications and the website, Fosters.com

In addition to the Portsmouth Herald, Seacoast Media Group publishes the twice weekly Exeter News-Letter and Hampton Union in New Hampshire and the York County Coast Star and York Weekly in Maine and the website Seacoastonline.com

Patrice D. Foster, the company’s current president and publisher, is the fifth consecutive generation of Foster family ownership of the paper and the company believes it is the only daily paper in America that still has a family name in its banner.

"In Seacoast Media Group and New Media, we believe we have found a successor who will work to preserve and continue the relationships with both our employees and our community that we in the Foster family have proudly cultivated and served for over 143 years," Foster wrote in a letter to employees. "With our support, they will continue to publish under the Foster's Daily Democrat banner, hopefully for a long time to come."

"Because of our history, our decision to transition ownership has not been taken lightly," Foster wrote. "We believe that the sale at this time offers a solid and sure way forward for Geo. J. Foster & Co., Inc., EMS, and the many stakeholders that want to preserve and strengthen what all of us have worked so hard on for so many years."

Tabor said the deal will help better serve readers and advertisers.

“We began a printing venture with the Foster family which was very successful and this is a logical extension of our work together over the years,” Tabor said. “Under Patty's leadership, Foster's Daily Democrat has been one of best local papers in New England, and we intend to keep it true to Joshua Foster's mission statement which runs on the editorial page every day. By combining with our organization, we can support the news mission more efficiently in the years to come. Also, advertisers on the Seacoast can buy 25,000 circulation throughout the Portsmouth and Dover area in one buy, and we can introduce Propel Marketing digital media services to the Dover-Rochester-Somersworth region. We think the combined media group has a bright future.”

New Media, Seacoast Media Group’s parent company, is one of the largest publishers of locally based print and online media in the United States. It operates in more than 370 markets across 27 states.

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